Mumbai, November 10: An investigation by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) into the Tirumala laddu adulteration case revealed that a dairy in Uttarakhand allegedly supplied 68 lakh kg of fake ghee worth INR 250 crore to the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD). Notably, TTD runs the famous Tirupati temple in Andhra Pradesh. The probe also revealed that the Bhole Baba Organic dairy (Bhole Baba Dairy) in Uttarakhand's Roorke never procured a drop of milk or butter from anywhere while it supplied ghee to TTD between 2019 and 2024.

According to a report in The Times of India, the information was gathered by the CBI-led special investigation team (SIT) following the arrest of Ajay Kumar Sugandh, who supplied various chemicals like monodiglycerides and acetic acid ester to Bhole Baba Organic dairy. The Uttarakhand-based dairy firm was contracted by the TTD to supply ghee, which was to be used in the preparation of laddu prasadam. It is learned that SIT made the revelations in its remand report submitted to a court in Nellore. Amul On Tirupati Laddu Prasadam Controversy: Amul Issues Clarification Amid Row Over Use of Animal Fat in Prasada, Says ‘Never Supplied Ghee to Tirupati Temple’.

Bhole Baba Dairy Set Up Fake Desi Ghee Manufacturing Unit

It is worth noting that the Bhole Baba Organic dairy (Bhole Baba Dairy) is run by its promoters, Pomil Jain and Vipin Jain, at Bhagawanpur in Uttarakhand. CBI said that the accused set up a fake desi ghee manufacturing unit and even forged milk procurement and payment records. They further said that the Bhole Baba dairy was disqualified and blacklisted in 2022. However, the promoters continued to supply fake ghee to the TTD by successfully bidding for contracts through other dairies, including Tirupati-based Vyshnavi dairy, UP-based Mal Ganga and Tamil Nadu-based AR Dairy Foods.

Ghee Stocks Rejected by TTD Supplied to the Trust by Bhole Baba Dairy Through Vyshnavi Dairy

During the probe, CBI also found that four containers of ghee stocks, which were adulterated with animal fat, were allegedly supplied by AR dairy, but subsequently rejected by the TTD in July last year. Later, the same stocks were supplied back to the Tirupati trust by the Bhole Baba dairy promoters through Vyshnavi dairy, which was based in Tirupati. An inspection of the AR dairy plant in Dindigul revealed that the four ghee tankers never returned to the AR dairy plant but were instead diverted to a local stone crushing unit located close to the Vyshnavi dairy plant. Tirupati Laddu Controversy: Supreme Court Lawyer Vineet Jindal Files Complaint Against Former Andhra Pradesh CM YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, Contractor and TTD Officials.

In August 2024, Vyshnavi Dairy, which was still supplying ghee to the TTD, allegedly changed the labels on the truck and improved the quality and consistency of the synthetic ghee before supplying it back to the trust. It was at this time that the same ghee was used by TTD to prepare the sacred Tirupati Laddu prasadams. It must be recalled that the SIT was formed after Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu, on September 18, 2024, claimed that ghee used for making Tirupati laddu during the YSR Congress Party rule was adulterated with animal fat.

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(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Nov 10, 2025 04:27 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).